BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2133|
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CONSENT
Bill No: AB 2133
Author: Blumenfield (D) and Silva (R)
Amended: 8/6/12 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE : 7-0, 6/12/12
AYES: Correa, Cannella, Berryhill, Calderon, Negrete
McLeod, Rubio, Lieu
NO VOTE RECORDED: Runner
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-0, 6/27/12
AYES: Lowenthal, Alquist, Blakeslee, Huff, Liu, Price,
Simitian, Vargas
NO VOTE RECORDED: Runner, Hancock, Vacancy
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 5/17/12 (Consent) - See last page
for vote
SUBJECT : Veterans: priority registration
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill enacts the Combat to College Act of
2012, which authorizes a qualifying student to use the four
academic years during which these institutions are
required, or requested, to grant priority registration for
enrollment within 15 years of his/her leaving state or
federal active duty. This bill requests that the
CONTINUED
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University of California (UC) comply with priority
enrollment as specified in this bill.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Requires California State University (CSU) and
California Community Colleges (CCC), and requests UC, to
grant priority registration for enrollment to a member
or former member of the Armed Forces, as defined, who is
a resident of California and who has received an
honorable discharge, a general discharge, or an other
than honorable discharge for any academic term within
four years of leaving state or federal active duty,
provided the campus administers priority enrollment.
2. Requires that the community colleges to make available a
variety of "matriculation services" to students in order
to ensure that students receive educational services
necessary to optimize their opportunities for success.
Matriculation requirements are only operative if funds
are specifically appropriated for these purposes.
This bill:
1. Enacts the Combat to College Act of 2012, which
authorizes a qualifying student to use the four academic
years during which these institutions are required, or
requested, to grant priority registration for enrollment
within 15 years of his/her leaving state or federal
active duty.
2. Requests that the UC comply with priority enrollment as
specified in this measure.
3. Requires veterans who are students at the CCC, in order
to receive priority for registration, to meet existing
matriculation requirements, i.e. declaring a specific
educational objective within a reasonable period of
time.
4. Requires that priority registration provided pursuant to
this measure shall apply to enrollment for all degree
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and certificate programs offered by the institution
after the military or veteran status of the student has
been verified by the institution he/she attends.
Background
In California approximately 30,000 soldiers are leaving
active duty annually, and many are pursuing an education.
Student veteran enrollment has increased at all three
public postsecondary segments in recent years. The
community colleges enroll 44,000 students utilizing some
form of veteran/tuition benefit; CSU enrolls 6,450 and UC
is enrolling 949.
Comments
Need for this bill . According to the author's office,
there is limited flexibility to veterans who need
additional time given the rigidity of the current four-year
timeline for preferred enrollment which begins at the date
of honorable discharge.
This is a problem because today's young veterans
disproportionately face challenges that can delay their
pursuit of higher education due to injuries, trauma, and
life circumstances. In addition, there is no conformity
with the 15-year timeline veterans can draw down federal
education benefits paid under the Post 9/11 GI Bill.
Related/Prior Legislation
AB 2462 (Block, 2012) requires the Chancellor of CCC to
implement a process for awarding credit for prior military
academic experience that meets the pertinent standards of
the American Council on Education, as specified.
AB 2478 (Hayashi, 2012) extends resident classification for
two years to CCC students who were stationed in California
on active duty for more than one year immediately prior to
being discharged.
SB 813 (Senate Veterans Affairs Committee), Chapter 375,
Statutes of 2011, extended priority enrollment for veterans
from two to four years.
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SB 272 (Runner), Chapter 356, Statutes of 2007, established
priority registration for two years for members of the
military.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/7/12)
AMVETS, Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Service Officers
California Community Colleges, Chancellor's Office
California State Commanders Council
Coastline Community College
Community College League of California
Golden West College
National Association of Social Workers
North Orange County Community College District
Orange Coast College
Orange County Community College Legislative Task Force
Rancho Santiago Community College District
South Orange County Community College District
The American Legion, Department of California
Vietnam Veterans of America
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 5/17/12
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Davis, Dickinson,
Donnelly, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Beth
Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto, Gordon, Gorell, Grove,
Hagman, Halderman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger
Hernández, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones,
Knight, Lara, Logue, Ma, Mansoor, Mendoza, Miller,
Mitchell, Monning, Morrell, Nestande, Nielsen, Norby,
Olsen, Pan, V. Manuel Pérez, Portantino, Silva, Smyth,
Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Valadao, Wagner, Wieckowski,
Williams, John A. Pérez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Fletcher, Bonnie Lowenthal, Perea,
Skinner, Yamada
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RM:k 8/8/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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